Has anyone had experience forcing minis to stay miniature? Robs suggests keeping the leaves trimming back and repoting frequently making sure you deminish the size of the rot ball each time you repot. Has anyone tried this procedure? It would be nice to have a discussion with suggestions from those who have had some experience before I start hacking away at my semiminis and minis.
I have one semi miniature, Southern Springtime, that is passing the accepted size of a semi miniature. I would like to bring it back to under six inches.
Linda
??Keeping Minis and Semiminis at the correct size??
Nanna,
Rob's has the best advice I think on this and I have had to do it with my Rob's Twinkle Pink ...It's a Micro Mini and it tends to sucker like crazy, so it lives in a terrarium.
One good thing about it is you can always put those stripped leaves down to grow replacements or trades.:)
I think I would wait until it bloomed and if it has already done that then whack away . You can always leave the root ball close to the same size and just cut enough to set it lower in the same size pot. Perhaps that way it will bloom again faster than a complete strip down????
Hope that helps???
MsC
Well Semiminiature is a plant that is 6 to 8 inches and miniatures up to six inches or less. I grow some of my Miniatures in thumb print pots but never larger than a 2 " pot. . My Semiminiatures are also grown in 2 inch pots never over 2.50. I always use the one third rule with potting.The pot should not be larger than 1/3 of the plant. So a nine inch plant will go into a 3 " pot. Using the smaller pots help the mini's from growing to large. Some Mini's are forced Mini's but ones that are not forced stay their size easily.
Linda if you bring your Semiminiature back under 6 inches it will be a miniature size . Southern Springtime is not in First Class do you know who the hybridizer is ?
As long as my Minis are 6 inches ( or close or less) and my Semi's are 6 to 8 inches I leave them be to be happy. Growing theem in the 2 inch pots help and I had to I'd repots and take a tiny bit of roots off. Just whats needed. I'm always sharing leaves and putting leaves down so I never have that problem.
Hope this helps ! Allison
Ok I fount it it's Mac's Southern Springtime but not registered nice plant " Mac's Southern Springtime (G. MacDonald)
Single red blossoms with a variable red-pink thumbprint overlay. Dark green foliage. Semiminiature "
Semiminiature plant is a plant that is 6 to 8 inches. Any Mac's I have grown go to the 8 inch size and his plants are beautiful and nice growers, heavy beautifl bloomers. I would let it be 8 inches and be a Semiminiature plant as it is :))
Mac's Southern Springtime (G. MacDonald)
Single red blossoms with a variable red-pink thumbprint overlay. Dark green foliage. Semiminiature
Thanks for the tips. Right now my Mac's Southern Springtime has lots of blooms but everything is very leggy. It was that way when I purchased it from Violet Gallery. Crowded condistions there but very nice plants. I think I will wait until the blooms finish then trim it down a little so it's not so leggy.
Nanna
Give it more light and it will help it fill in :)) When their leggy like that lot's of times I put down all the outed leggy leaves and re-pot sometimes I go down to almost a crown. But an 8 inch plant is a nice size for Mac's Southern Springtime or any Semiminiature :))
It has beautiful blooms nice plant. Allison
http://www.robsviolet.com/miniature_violets.htm
Well Semiminiature is a plant that is 6 to 8 inches and miniatures up to six inches or less. I grow some of my Miniatures in thumb print pots but never larger than a 2 " pot. . My Semiminiatures are also grown in 2 inch pots never over 2.50. I always use the one third rule with potting.The pot should not be larger than 1/3 of the plant.
In the case of varieties described as miniature, the proper size is defined as no more than 6" in diameter, and for semiminis, no more than 8".
This message was edited Nov 28, 2005 11:47 PM
Since roots don't reach this excess soil, it can tend to stay excessively damp and can damage the small root system. A 2" or 2 1/4" pot is sufficient for most miniature varieties, while semiminiatures need no more than a 2 1/2" pot. We tell visitors to the shop that miniature violets are like miniature ponies--putting a larger saddle on them won't make them into a horse!
http://www.robsviolet.com/faq_page_13.htm#What's%20a%20mini?
Question: Why are miniature violets small? Will it grow bigger if I pot it in a larger pot?
That's great reference info ...I can't ever remember who gets to be what size so i alwasy have to go look it up.
When I think of a Mini I always think of them as the size of baby plantlets just starting out and was surprised to know they can really get larger if you let them.
Those standards are for showing and I guess if one doesn't care if they are perfect then one could grow them any size they'd like??? Meaning that it would not hurt the plants to get bigger... they just won't be "show standards"..
So Allison can you tell us about the trailers, too??
Do they keep them the same sizes as their class??
I see the pics on Rob's and they sure look alot bigger than the standard sizes??
What kinda of info do you have for us on those???
Thanks
MsC
MsC very interesting subject a book could be written on trailers alone !!
Trailing Hybrids of African violets are classified under the ( Micro-Miniatures) , Miniatures, Semi-Minatures, and Standards. With trailing African violets this does not applie to the size of the plant. but rather the size of the leaves . Trailing African violets are not limited in growth size
The pot chosen should look in porportion with the plant and fit their shallow roots. Therefore a Miniature Trailing African violet that is big enough may grow in a 6" pan pot.
You will see Micro-Miniature Trailing African violet like Fruit-Fly, Teeny Bopper having 200 leaves in a 2 " pot. The leaves are small byt the plant may grow as larger as the grower wants.
Trailers of African violets are one of the easiest growing Hybrids. They are Floriferous and bloom unconditionaly
These are plants that grow rapidley to large proportions and may require lot's of room. An African violet collection is not complete without some Trailing Hybrids :))
They are also called Caulescent violets ; which means they have more than one crown.
Here is a link to a large Fact Sheet and it has everything about the trailing Hybrids and their History.
http://72.41.11.187/trailfs.pdf
Many of us are eager to obtain a free-flowering trailing African violet, beacasue house-plants vines have always appealed to me and other growers. Of the pendent growers, Lyndon Lyon wites; ( back in the 1960's)
"e al trailing violet would really trail as much or more than the species S. grotei . Blossoms would be large with strong rather than short stems and the leaves would be relatively small , the hanging effort would result from the rapidly elongating main stems. Flowers would be in all colors, forms, double and single stars, and there would be
some wild type flowers. These trailers would make magnificent hanging baskets, pedestal plants, and big pot speciments , but some would be trailing miniatures with tiny leaves.
He then started to accomplish this. So in early 1966 wanting fast-growing trailers in a full range of sizes as well as colors he crossed S. Grotei with " Tiny Rose " and " Tiny Pink " . In two generations he had pink star trailers, but about three fourths of the trailing characteristic was gone. So he selceted the very best and then crossed them on
S. grotei. This resulting in seedlings trailed much better than he expected , so to save time he crossed one of the best doubles on one of the best singles, . He felt so close to his goal, a rapid-trailing vigorous pink star trailer that could be out-crossed with to pick up new genetic traits and back-cross to, to again pick up the rapid-trailing characteristic in full range of violet colors.
He also recieved a shipment of twenty-five saintpaulia species " S. magungenis" from Henery Peterson. He was then hoping to get a project started to test and find varieties with tolerance to temputure and light with a view to breeding hardier varieties that will better survive and bloom in apartments, supermarkets, and florist shops " :))
Just a little bit of trailing History :))
Doesn't the miniature size have something to do with the size of the leaf as well?
Maybe this picture will help. Mac's Southern Springtime as you can see is 9 to 10 inches across. The leaves a quite large. She seems to be loosing the lovely thumb print and becoming mostly white with hinds of the red.
I measured the pots that were sold as 2 1/2 and they are actually 3".
Should I follow Rob's suggestions and prune her leaves and reduce her root ball?
Nanna
Of course we know Rob Robinson has it down pat when it comes to Minatures and trailers and you can't be his informations on growing trailers :))
http://www.robsviolet.com/trailing_violets.htm
"Some Notes on Trailing African Violets"
This is the outline of a lecture that Rob first presented at the Mid-Atlantic AVS Convention Show, in November, 1996. It's since been reprinted in numerous publications, including VioletsFun no. 12.
http://www.robsviolet.com/trailing_violets1.htm
When potting your trailers " Potting into larger containers. Shallow is best. "
Pot into shallow containers, no matter the diameter of the pot. From a starter plant in a 2" pot, go into a 3" tub pot, then into a 5" pan pot.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Trailers
types of, how to display
repotting, when to
use of in large containers
http://www.robsviolet.com/faq.htm
Happy Miniature " up to 6 inches " Semi-minature 6-8 " growing :))
Happy Trailing.
Nanna
Beautiful plant ! I think sometimes they measure depth also to consider size. I have had many 2 " pots, 2.25, 2.50, 3 " and so on all different I can take three different kinds of 2 ,25 pots and all different looking and measurments can get crazy and confusing. I go toward the more shallow pots.
Your plant is leggy , like you were saying it was grown in crowed conditions. Plants need room and should not touch each other or have to fight for light. It depends if you want to enjoy your blooms I'd wait until it stops blooming. I use to disbud every plant I bought. But not anymore Life is short and I enjoy each and every flowers.
If I get a leggy plant I take all long out of porportuion leaves off and put them down or give them away for new plants. I then looks at the roots and see or do this first. What are the size of the roots, are they small really in a pot to large to begin with ? I find this often when buying plants I take it out of the pot and 3/4 of the pots has no roots and it's in a pot too large to begin with.
If this is the case you won't need to cut roots off this gently take some soil off just a little off the top and bottome. Prepare the correct size pot. I would not go larger than 2.50 and even use a 2" - 2.25 shallow if you have them. Fix pot so soil is on bottom and all around edges og pot so the plant can fit comfortable inside and have some room for growth. When you place in under lights make sure it has room not touching any other plants that you have room to work on them . Or place it in your favorite window !
If you want there is no rule it's your plant , you may want to transplant it while blooming and keep the flowers !! I have done thiis hundreds of times with always great out come ! My Rob's Boodoogle I got a couple months ago in blooms was hugh, I put leaves down and gave some away, re-potted it never taking any buds off. It has been in blooms over two months non-stop always new ones coming up and the older ones long lasting and fresh looking. It's been happy in Natural light in my home. It's so pretty almost looks fake .
I have many times taken all leaves off right down to only having the crown, not only for mini's but standards, or necky , and leggy ones. Many times I have got standards in 4 " pots with the plant small and hardly any roots, I down pot it. You see sales plants rare, plants 4 " pot, lot's of times the plant is not " rare" and anyone can put a plant into a 4" pot and let you think your buying something special but come on why put them in a 4" pot if they don't fit the shoe. lol I have seen many people selling Miniatures and semi-minatures in 4" pots . Buyers think this is great thier getting a large plant wrong . Then people would ask me what size pot do you plants some in 4 " thinking their getting a good deal. No they are not only large standards :)) My plants are in pots according to the size of the plant.
Sorry to go on and on. I just see so much over potting. When I first joined the local AV group I learned. I had to go home and re-poy all my plants. Down sized all pots. lol
Allison
Thanks, Allison.
Nanna
Thank you Allison for all the information you post it really helps especially when you are trying to remember "Now where did I read that info "..lol
I finally broke down and repotted my NO blooms Ramblin Angel in a shallower pot. I bought a plastic drain pan and burnt drainage holes in it and added a wick too.
I split the rootball across the bottom like and X and spread the roots outward, I also took off large leaves covering the bare stems and a few babies sprouting along the bare stems. It will be a beautiful plant when it fills in.
The root ball was a solid mass in a 4 inch container .
I broke off several pieces and have set them aside to root as well for the Bunny trade.:)
It is amazing to think all this started from one small plantlet in a 30z cup a lil over a year ago.
I can really recommend it as a "first trailer".
MsC
MsC also try giving it 14-16 hours of light each day, regular feeding program it should bloom . Oh yes is it getting enough humidity ?
Allison